Repeal of Bellflower’s Ban on Smoking

Until the last City Council meeting, I was very proud to live in Bellflower. Now I’m very embarrassed for three council members. I had thought Bellflower was worth fighting for; now I’m not so sure. The “Three Henchmen”--John Ansdell, Ruth Gilson and Ken Cleveland--in my opinion are not working for the good of Bellflower. They have taken away my right to breathe in Bellflower. They obviously don’t care about the health of the people in Bellflower.

At the April 27 meeting, there were more people speaking in favor of keeping the no-smoking ordinance, and did these three listen? No! They had already made up their minds before the meeting even started. Even the emotional plea from a widow whose husband died of cigarette smoking wasn’t heard by these three. At one point Mr. Cleveland yawned and rubbed his eyes. He was also talking to the council. He appeared to be bored with the whole thing.

As far as the meeting itself, I don’t feel proper notification was given to the people of Bellflower. I found out through gossip. I don’t think the city considers this a proper way of notification, so the results (of the meeting) should be null and void and (the no-smoking ordinance) left the way it was.

If Cleveland and Gilson have the time and energy they claimed in their campaigns, let them put it into something good and positive, like making it illegal to gangbang in Bellflower. Now I can only conclude that other cities that would have possibly jumped on the bandwagon are now laughing at us because we are no longer the “Friendly City.”

Nobody wants to go first, but Bellflower had the guts to go first. As part of Gilson’s campaign, she promised to go with whatever the majority of the taxpayers wanted. Seeing that a majority at the April 27 meeting wanted the smoking ban to stay, she’s already contradicted her campaign statements. Maybe what Bellflower needs is a petition to recall the “Three Henchmen.”

SUE VAN DEN HOEK

Bellflower